What the Water Gave Me
by Moppet-leFay
Summary: Porrim Maryam was just investigating something in the sky when suddenly everything sweeps her off her feet. Literally. She's stuck on the Orphaner's ship now in a whole new dream bubble with no way back home. Unless she can convince Dualscar to turn the ship around... MaryamxAmpora
1. Author

Author's Note: This is my first crack at a Homestuck fanfic. I decided to go with this crack pairing because it combines two things I love. Maryams, and Amporas. I think the relationship, and potential between them is interesting to work with. You don't see many writing depictions of them interacting, and I wanted to play around with a few threads in the plot to tie them all together. Anyway, I know it's a stretch to pair Porrim with Dualscar, but my only request is you bear with me, and enjoy. Critique is welcome.

* * *

Time it took us  
To where the water was  
That's what the water gave me  
And time goes quicker  
Between the two of us  
Oh, my love, don't forsake me  
Take what the water gave me

Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow  
Pockets full of stones

Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow

And oh, poor Atlas  
The world's a beast of a burden  
You've been holding on a long time  
And all this longing  
And the ships are left to rust  
That's what the water gave us

So lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow  
Pockets full of stones  
Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow

'Cause they took your loved ones  
But returned them in exchange for you  
But would you have it any other way?  
Would you have it any other way?  
You couldn't have it any other way

'Cause she's a cruel mistress  
And a bargain must be made  
But oh, my love, don't forget me  
I let the water take me

Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the over flow  
Pockets full of stones

Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow

Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow  
Pockets full of stones

Lay me down  
Let the only sound  
Be the overflow

**- Florence and the Machine, What the Water Gave Us **


	2. Chapter 1

She hated the ocean.

The smell, the sound of water lapping and teasing the shore with its white foam, the feeling of quicksand beneath the foot, everything about it grated on her last nerve. She wasn't able to tell if she actually despised the ocean because of its features, or just because it had birthed some of the most cruel and monstrous things upon this universe. _Birthed is too nice a word. It's more like spawned,_ she thought to herself as she glared into the glittering surface on the horizon, the sun sinking beneath the dark blue line, an accurate depiction of how she felt about most sea-dwellers and high-bloods in general. The upper class always snuffed out the light and blotted it with their darkness, their wars, most conflicts trifle skirmishes that left ruin and bloodshed in their wake. Of course, there were a few high bloods she did not mind, but they were the only exceptions. The other high bloods she could not stand, from what she had read of their history on Alternia.

The female troll blinked her empty eyes, tongue fidgeting gently with the labret piercing through her lip. Her fangs gleamed in the twilight of the dream bubble, ebony hair reflecting the slightest glow of pink color. There was a reason she was here, along the sand, staring at the scenery she so dearly despised.

High, above the clouds of a rust-blood's sky, was a glossy phenomena. Streaks of silver and bright neon threads of multiple colors weaved around the dream bubble. Like Gl'bgolyb's tentacles, they coiled and contracted, waving hypnotically. Her instincts as a Space player were telling her something was about to happen. It had begun a few nights ago, first looking like a far off star, but it had slowly gotten bigger.

Or closer.

She had to come investigate, and that was how she had came to this beach. The pulsations of light seemed to be strongest and most clear from this vantage point. Aside from the post-Scratch versions of themselves coming to visit, this was the most exciting thing to have occurred in this void of death and boredom. She really and truly had nothing better to do, and to miss an event of any significance was pure criminal. She had been staked out at this location for a while now, at least one human day, basking through the sun, and nothing had occurred. But she knew better. She was patient.

And of course, her intuition proved to be right on the mark.

There was an earthquake. The ground began to shake tremendously beneath her feet at the drop of a hat, earth rumbling and roaring to life. Craters began to form, golden grains of sand spilling into the enormous holes as part of their dream bubble began to break. The tropical trees and flora creaked and snapped from the deteriorating foundation.

Porrim covered her face, stunned. Was this Lord English's doing? Had he found them? Was he going to disintegrate their bubble?

She was thrown off balance, and landed in the sand on her back. Cursing to herself, the troll observed the destruction in awe. The sun, half-way beneath the sea, began to turn dark and indigo, as if bleeding forth the ocean from within. The depth and vastness of the ocean increased. The tide began to pull in, reaching for her desperately. Porrim was only half-way to her feet when a sudden rush of water sucked her into the ocean. The sand evaporated beneath her, leaving her dangling in a depth she couldn't determine.

Luckily, despite the fact she did not like the ocean, she at least knew how to swim. That didn't make this any less dangerous of a situation, though. So many creatures with large teeth lived in these waters, with maws that could easily swallow her whole. And the beasts that did not want her served on a silver platter held the most monstrous of tempers. But she soon learned that creatures beneath the surface was not what she had to fear...

The boom of a cannon came from the distance. She rotated in her watery cage to face the skyline, eyes widening with a mixture of amazement and terror as large, troll battleships began to literally materialize around her from nowhere. Their appearance was ghost-like, and spectral. The sounds of the cannons increased in volume. Soon the water was exploding, hit by the impact of enormous cannonballs. Clashing swords and firing weapons joined the crescendo of sound.

Then came the wind. The wind became violent and terrible; howling, bringing on black clouds that obscured and devoured the ones from the peaceful scene before. Rain came down in torrents, claps of ominous thunder overhead and mingling with the booms of the cannons. The water tossed her viciously, making her head go under sporadically. She struggled to keep afloat, choking whenever she broke the surface to precious air. It didn't take long before she was smacked against the side of a ship. Screaming voices plummeted from the sides, splashing into the water beside her. Porrim groaned and tried to look around for anything to hang on to. Her mind was racing. She had known something was going to happen, something new, but she hadn't imagined something like this happening. She didn't even know what was happening.

A barrel of what she assumed to be gunpowder caught her attention as it bobbed above surface. It was a few wave crests away, but she figured she could manage. Pushing off the boat, the rainbow drinker struggled her way through the obstructing, salty waves to the barrel. She used all her strength to push herself over it, so she was slung belly-first upon it. Waves smacked her in the face. Sputtering and heaving for air, she lifted her head up to the battle going on around her. The pit of her stomach turned sour as she realized just what she had just gotten caught up in.

_Pirates. It's a pirate battle._ She felt rage simmering inside her. The high bloods commanded the sea, meaning that this disturbance was their fault. How the disturbance had happened, the Maid of Space did not know. She tried looking to the sky for answers, but was met with depressing grey clouds that cried so sorrowfully that their tears were like the sky's personal flogging. Her body was sore and battered from fighting the water. Hair flattened to her skin and plastered to her forehead, she coughed and gagged, clinging to her lifeboat with white knuckles and a pale face. The salt stung her eyes, but she was too terrified to let go of the barrel to clear them.

She briefly skimmed over the masts of each ship, looking at their flags and patterns. She knew quite a bit about pirates, especially blue-blooded ones, thanks to her time with Aranea. The only symbol she could decipher however, was the crest of the Condescension. Her naval fleet. Why they were in their dream bubble, Porrim had no clue.

From what she could tell, the empress's fleet was winning. Two enemy ships had been sunk, and a few others seemed to have retreated or surrendered. But there was one boat still clinging to hope. Unfortunately the only operational station was right next to her. The cannon fire was directed at them, and she felt a leap of fear strike through her as a cannonball penetrated the water with amazing force, so much that she felt the air rush over her as it landed only a little bit off target. The splash it caused sent more rough waves her way, rocking her off the barrel and tipping it over completely with herself underneath. The teen troll panicked and flailed, unable to tell what direction was up or down. Everything looked the same.

Dizzy and tired, she felt her head going blank and the fight in her leaving. It was only a dream bubble anyway. She was already dead. There was no way she could die again, right? Then there was no point to struggle.

Feeling reconciled with her logic, she was about to succumb to her fatigue and let her consciousness go, but that was when it hit her.

Dream bubbles. _It was a dream bubble!_

A fountain of bubbles burst in front of her in sync with her exclamation, also letting her break through to the ocean's surface where she gulped in sacred air.

She was in the middle of a dream bubble collision. Somehow their bubble and another's were briefly meshing together, like two comets impacting. Porrim tried to find the shore from where she had been sucked in, but was devastated to find that the jostling around in the water had made her completely lose her place of origin. She wouldn't be able to figure it out unless she got up higher. However, there was no way she was boarding one of those monstrous boats. Not in the middle of a battle.

Another cannonball whizzed over her head, but instead of meeting water, it splintered through the bottom of the remaining boat. It flooded, the shouting of desperate sailors and doomed pirates yelling with dispair and defeat as their vessel began to sink. The shafts of wood that broke off the ship drifted her way. She took advantage of it and flopped her way onto it. sprawling out with exhaustion. Her legs were throbbing from treading water for so long. Panting heavily, she watched survivors dive off what remained of the ship, right before the final blow from the empress's fleet landed right on target of the boat's prow. It annihilated the craft completely, sending debris and smoke into the clogged air. The last of their gunpowder ignited to make a fitting explosion that sent a wave of heat within a good sized radius.

Porrim laid her head down to avoid behind hit by anything coming off the boat. She could hear the screams of the sailors as they were either caught in the blast, or drowning. Snorting salt water out of her nose, she felt her body grow limp and weak. Her eyes began to sink with the vessel in front of her. Within a minute, the rainbow drinker was out cold, put at the ocean's mercy.

She didn't know how long she was out, but when she came to, she was not bobbing on the water like she remembered. Instead, she was in a room. A skinny room, made out of wood, with three windows streaming in moonlight. There was a desk off to the side, fairly bare aside from a single map, and a wax candle that was lit. A pair of swords crossing each other was mounted above the door on the adjacent wall. Across from her was a chest, locked with a gold seal with purple gems. She rubbed her eyes, blinking away the salt.

From what she could tell, she was laying on a cot. Her body was covered by a thin sheet, white in color. It occurred to her that near her feet she could hear murmuring. Porrim tried to glance over without making a disturbance to show that she was awake, but was unable to make out a figures. Loud and heavy footsteps paced around to her head. She shut her eyes well before, evening her breathing as much as she could. A firm hand grasped her chin with tender fingers and turned it up. They brushed over her lip piercing curiously before roughly patting her cheek.

"Alright, lassie, nap time's ovwer. Wwake up."

The voice sounded oddly like Cronus's. Her first instinct was to spring up and bite whoever decided it was okay to handle her like that. She waited a moment to tense her body, then let her skin glow bright like white-hot iron. Her empty eyes opened up golden and fueled with rage. It took only a second for her to spring up from her bed and launch herself at her captor, fangs bared.

She was in utter shock when she was caught in midair and sent flying back into the cot. Her arms were then pinned to the wall behind her by the wrists. She let her vision adjust, letting out a loud grunt.

They had their hands gripped tightly around her wrists, enough that she felt bruises coming on. She could also tell that they had switched her clothes. Her black dress had been replaced with a tan, ragged dress of a prisoner. But Porrim was less concerned about those, and more so focused on the two jagged scars going across the troll's face in front of her.

It only took a second for her to utter the name, "Dualscar."

The Ampora smirked, his eyes also empty and white, showing he was but a memory. "So you havwe heard of me, havwe you, lass?" his wavy accent was deeper than Cronus, and much more worn and gruff. His face was more defined, and the fins around his ears were torn from age and battles past. However, he had plenty of jewels to flash on his ears, and as she glanced over to her bound hands, on his fingers as well. His hair framed around his jaw in jagged sweeps, and his horns were massively larger than any Ampora she had ever encountered, speckled with nicks and dents.

All the rainbow drinker could do was nod.

His chuckle was dark. "Wwell, I must say, you wwere a treasure to be found. Wwhy wwere you hanging around on some scallywwag's ship, hm? They seemed a bit petty to havwe a jade-blood on board. In fact, I'm pretty sure that jade-bloods aren't supposed to leavwe the caverns of the mother grub... And any that do, are sevwerely punished. Laww of the Empress herself."

He didn't give her time to respond. He took a moment to take in her split second of terror reaction before saying, "But, I wwon't turn you in to the Subjuggulators, lass. You can pay for your crimes a different way."

"But, I'm-" she tried to explain, but was once again cut off.

"You'll be staying on my ship. You wwill servwe me and my creww, and if you wwork wwell, wwe wwill not punish you. Howwevwer, if you are difficult wwith us, vwampire, wwe wwill not hesitate to take you to the slavwe-traders."

"That's not fair! I am no enemy of yours!" she spat, feeling her anger rise. This man, this royal troll, was the one responsible for her ancestor's death and pain. She was not about to be subjected to his hand as well. "I have done nothing to you. Please, let me go on my land!"

The grip on her wrists grew tighter and she yelped. "If you are put on land, trust me, lass, you wwill be in far more trouble than you are here. Wwhat I am doing for you noww is out of mercy and kindness. Appreciate it. A 'thank you' wwould suffice."

Porrim bared her fangs at him and hissed like a feral cat-beast. "I do not need your help."

His stare became steely. "Havwe it your wway then." He aggressively locked her wrists both together with one hand, and she marveled at the sheer size of his palms. With what she assumed to be minimal strength, he drug her from the bed and to the door. His crew mate, who had silently watched from the corner's shadows, trailed behind. Dualscar opened the door, which led to the deck.

Her thin prison dress was itchy, and its seams dug into her skin uncomfortably. It was just a tad too tight for her. She wasn't the only one to notice that either. The workers on the deck stopped their jobs to stare at the only prisoner taken from the battle with keen fascination and inquiry. A few of the younger looking trolls grinned hungrily and whistled at her.

"You havwe twwo options, vwampire," Dualscar declared, loud enough for his crew to hear as well. "You can either cooperate wwith me, and be provwided better care as a rewward, or," he pushed her towards his crew. "I can send you to the slavwe traders, and on our wway there, I wwill let them do wwhatever they please to you. And these lowwer blooded scoundrels havwen't filled any pails in ages."

Porrim didn't have to think long. As much as she knew that she was a good fighter, there was no way she would be able to out muscle all these high bloods with just her fangs. And even if she did, she was still stuck on a boat with Dualscar. Her only option was to schmooze and convince him to let her go to shore where her dream bubble was.

Grudgingly, she stiffened her upper lip. "... Fine. I will behave."

Even without facing him, she could feel the grin on his face as he steered her back inside the cabin. "Wwelcome to my ship, then, miss...?"

"Porrim." Her tone was steely. "Porrim Maryam."


	3. Chapter 2

After agreeing to serve on the Orphaner's ship, she had been given new clothes, much comfier than her prisoner get-up. They had given her a white blouse that was a tad too big for her. It clung at the shoulders and had a ruffled front. With it, they had given her a grey sash to tie around her waist, and a black skirt that was ripped at the hem. It cut around her knees. They did not give her any shoes, so she walked around on the hard ship floors barefoot, constantly stubbing her feet on equipment. She was no longer considered a prisoner, but now a part of Dualscar's crew, though she was also at the bottom of the totem pole.

Most days were spent cleaning and cooking for the crew, a role she detested as it reminded her too muchof the underground caverns she had abandoned long ago. She was not the only female on the ship, however. There were two females that were part of the crew, Nennet and Felici, both blue-blooded, and they made sure to treat her like garbage whenever she was around and in their line of sight. When making their rounds, they would kick over glass bottles that would shatter to pieces, forcing her to sweep it up, and cut holes in the netting that Porrim would have to mend and stitch. The other females were wenches, three of them, and from what she could tell, they were lowbloods sold into slavery. She knew that one was a yellow-blood and the other was rust-blooded like Damara, but the third she was unsure, and really didn't care. They were Dualscar's wenches, and the crew was only allowed to look, but never touch.

Sometimes she was hit on, but it didn't happen frequently and it was mostly teasing and blunt mockery. The worst that happened was when she was serving the crew at dinner and she had dropped a utensil. When she bent over to get it, an olive-blood had the audacity to run his hand up her skirt. She promptly ended that with a good kick at his jaw, and nobody really dared to try that again, especially after seeing her glow and vampire hiss like she had let out that particular day.

Dualscar was rarely around. He kept himself locked in his cabin. She left his dinner at his door, and tried to avoid him as much as she could. No way she would risk getting on his bad side and be fed to the dogs around here. And Porrim knew that if he were to interact with her on a daily basis, she might actually try to tear his throat out. He was wise to keep his distance from a seething jade-blood with a vendetta.

However, there were times he would leave the cabin to check on the work done for a particular day. He'd leave coordinates with the navigator and then go back to his room with disappointed and neglected wenches in his wake. They would mope around the boat, griping about how he wouldn't pay attention to them and hadn't in a while. Occasionally the Orphaner would check to make sure Porrim was doing something productive, but most of the time his first-mate would inform him of such matters.

She didn't mind the first-mate. He was a teal-blood, and very handsome with pearly white fangs and a sharp face. He was sarcastic and droll, and reminded her greatly of Latula with his dramatic antics. Porrim enjoyed listening to him banter with subordinates and talk down at them playfully. Everyone seemed to get along with the first-mate, even though he was hard on them when it came to productivity and working hard. He was also very adept at throwing knives, and sometimes would be spotted practicing on an old, unusable barrel. He could hit that barrel with his eyes closed, facing away from it, even could hit it when throwing with his toes.

They talked in the after mornings, when dinner was over while she was cleaning dishes. He would sit on a table and tell her stories about his adventures with Dualscar, and how they conquered entire oceans. He was so exaggerated with his voice and gestures, it always brought a smile to her face to hear him talk, though he never delved into anything too personal about his life, which she was fine with.

She had been keeping track of how long she had been kept in captivity. She didn't know how long Dualscar intended to keep her prisoner. He never talked to her about where they were going, or what any of his plans for her were. She could be stuck in this deal forever for all she knew. But if he wasn't going to let her free soon, she would have to escape, if even just to land. There was no way she was going to spend her afterlife serving one of the most detested and vile high bloods to ever grace the universe. She didn't know if they were still in contact with her dream bubble or not. She didn't know if she could even get back, but she at least had to try. How she was going to go about doing that, she didn't know. Her view was limited to the endless sea. She figured that they would have to make shore eventually, but after a third of a sweep past without one landing, she became distraught and sick.

One night, she was mopping the mess-hall floors. It had been a long day of tying knots and washing clothes, and she had seen way too many trolls naked to be in a good mood. The rocking of the ship at night hardly lulled her to sleep, in fact it did the opposite, and she had noticed the bags forming under her eyes. Her feet were bleeding from being rubbed raw on the wood floors, and it was in that moment she couldn't take it. She took the mop and tossed it over her shoulder with a huff, slumping into the nearest chair with a hand over her face.

"I can't do this anymore, Perune," she said as calmly as she could. "Why is he doing this to me? All I want is to go home."

The first-mate had been shocked by her sudden display of hopelessness. He sat up in his chair and adjusted his bandanna. "Well fer one we don't know where yer home is," he said with a snort.

Porrim threw up her hands. "Well, y'know, neither do I. I have no idea where to go from this forsaken ocean to get back to where I came from." She had thought about little Kankri every night, hoping he was managing alright on his own, and her friends. She wondered if they had noticed her absence or if they were out looking for her in the void.

Perune blinked at her, looking sympathetic. "I'm sure there is a reason he's keepin' ya out 'ere. Cap'n doesn't do things without good purpose. I mean, he saved my life a number of times. I'd be sleeping at the bottom of the ocean, or hung by the gallows by now if it weren't fer that man. He's not cruel by any means."

"Not cruel?" she spat in disbelief. This was the Orphaner they were talking about. The man known to slaughter lusii and leave grubs to die without a second thought. The lieutenant of the Empress herself. "So letting me go around this floating prison in my bare feet and letting them get torn up like THIS isn't cruel!?" she held up one of her feet to him with an icy glare, showing the raw flesh tinted in her rare blood, accented with multiple cuts and slices.

Perune's eye twtiched a bit at the sight and he gently maneuvered her foot back to the floor and went into the kitchen. He came back a moment later with a tray of water and a sponge. "Gimmie your foot, lassie." She did, and placed her heel in his hand. He dipped the sponge in water and squeezed it out on her sole. The water was cool and felt good. He then began to dab at the raw parts, making her take sharp breaths of pain. "Tell ya what, I'll ask the Cap'n about giving you some shoes, a'ight?"

She nodded weakly, her eyes drooping. Perune saw how she was about to collapse right there in the chair, so he flicked her face with some of the water. "Oi, and while I'm at it, why don't you take a day off tomorrow. Catch up on some shut-eye, all that jazz."

It brought a smile to her face, even though she knew that this rocking hoof-beast would never put her to sleep. It was the thought that counted, and Perune was trying very hard to make her feel better. "Thank you."

He cleaned her feet and used an old shirt to wrap them loosely, enough to last her the walk back to her room, which she had to herself. That was the only generous thing Dualscar had given her, really, and she wasn't particularly sure why he had given it to her. It was the same room she had woken up in when she had arrived, and he had let her keep it since.

The cloth wrappings had lasted, and she sat on the edge of the cot, careful not to dip into the sopor slime as she did so. The swaying of the boat made her stomach churn, even though she hardly ate much here, only nibbles of the things she was making for the crew.

She could see rays of sun poking through her windows. She didn't mind the light. Since she was a rainbow drinker and had the ability to enjoy it, she did so frequently. On days like these where she could not sleep or rest, Porrim would stroll around the deck and bask in the light. She loved seeing how it twinkled on the water's surface, and how she could spot silver schools of fish just beneath it. She loved how everything felt so alive. It made her feel alive too.

The vampire decided to go outside and enjoy the oncoming sunrise. She opened the door, in time to see a violet cape rustle quietly down the stairs that rest just above her door. The large, muscular troll rounded around the railing, heading for the main entrance to the inside of the ship when he spotted her. His empty eyes bored into her, and Porrim stiffened. Even though they were void and white, just like everyone else's, she could still feel as if his glare was as penetrating and cold as ever. It sent a shiver down her spine to know that one of the most dangerous high-bloods was in front of her now and had the power to snap her in two on a whim if he wanted to do so. His head bobbed up and down subtly, as if he was looking her over, jawline taut and perfectly square. He took note of her wrapped feet and his lips pursed tightly.

She had to hold back a snarky comment. She bit her lip, teething the labret in frustration as she was subject to his scrutiny. Then, it was over. He turned his head, as if he had never saw anything, and departed, just as the more intense rays of dawn began to peek over the horizon.

The next day, waiting outside her door was a pair of black leather boots with gold buckles on the side. There were stockings as well. She wordlessly took them back into her room and changed, seeing that both were of a decent and comfortable fit. However, when she left her room again, Perune was waiting, arms crossed.

"Yes?" she inquired innocently.

"It's your day off, so I'm goin' to make it as relaxin' as I can. Follow me."

She followed him up the stairs, to where one would man the wheel, but he instead took a turn towards Dualscar's cabin. She stiffened and froze where she was as she watched him break out his ring of keys, sifting for the right one. As he found it and clicked it in, Perune noticed her hesitation.

"He's not in 'ere, lass, cool it." The first-mate waved his hand for her to come in, and she slowly paced over, even more so slowly stuck her nose in.

The captain's quarters were lavish, as she expected. His bed was royally decorated with gold designs in his cocoon, and he had racks for his cape and armor, some heavier pieces abandoned upon it. There was a large desk in the far right corner where piles and piles of documents and maps spilled over, marked up in every which way. A candle was at the last of its life in terms of wax content. He had a solar-system model, small lounge sofa, and Ahab Crosshairs displayed in a glass case mounted on the wall. A rug completed his room, showing the star charts through the sweeps. The area was left clear of any crumpled pages, so she assumed he used it frequently to make navigation plans.

"Does he know I'm staying in here today?" she asked with the quirk of a brow.

Perune grinned, much like she recalled Terezi to. "Of course not. It's our little secret, 'kay? He's gonna be steering for most of the day, so he won't even know." He held up a finger to his mouth. "Jus' don't move stuff around, or he'll notice. I figure this would be a nice change in scenery for ya, and I bet a nap is even potential." After she thanked him for his thoughtfulness, Perune left in a hurry to do his own work, saying he would be back when things began to settle down around dawn.

With him gone, she could explore a little more in depth. For a while, she just stood there, absorbing the fact that she was in Dualscar's private cabin, and that everything in here was at her mercy. The temptation to take the Ahab Crosshairs and snap it was great, but she had no desire to be sold into slavery and tortured on the way there.

Instead she strayed to the desk. She looked at the maps, curious as to where they were. Off to the side on loose scraps of paper were calculations. Porrim took them and compared them to the map coordinates. She was no expert when it came to sailing, but she could do math and read a map. From what she could understand, they were heading east, away from what she assumed was the place the battle where she was picked up took place.

Her finger trailed back to where she figured her origin was. Luckily, being used as a paperweight, there was a compass. She peered at it intensely, finding out what direction west was in. Her head swerved to meet that direction, and she stared at it longingly for a moment, taking in the fact that she knew which way would lead her back to where she belonged. Her focus then returned to the map, trying to decipher where it was Dualscar was heading. She traced her index along the route, finding that it was directed toward a group of little islands. They were landing soon. She estimated that in two or three days tops is when they would land upon this particular place. The news was good, but not helpful. Unless she could find somewhere to hide on the islands that the crew would never find, and then searched out a guide to take her back to her dream bubble, she was still screwed.

With a dejected sigh, she put everything back, trying to shift it so it was exactly as she found it. Her hand accidentally knocked over a stack of charts rolled and unfurled onto the floor. She cringed and got down to gather them up again, and just as she was about to place them back on the desk, she noticed something that had been buried underneath them.

It was a worn, leather bound book, torn and folded at the corners. There was a band tying it down to keep it closed. Glancing at the door, and the sole window, she gently placed the charts down on the desk's chair. Her fingers brushed over the book, making sure it was safe. Who knew what sort of security Dualscar put on his things? After seeing it was harmless, she picked it up by the spine, turning it back and forth. It was very dusty. She wiped it off a little before untying the band keeping it sealed. She first noticed that the pages were extremely loose. They were yellowed and aged, with various crumpled spots from water spray. The ink inside was faded, but still legible.

She paced to the sofa and sat down, getting herself comfortable. It didn't take long to figure out that this was Dualscar's journal. And seeing that she had no intention to sleep, reading it would provide her not only insight into the Orphaner's head, but also a way to pass the time in here.

The dates went back to eons ago. The beginning entries were all summaries of past high-sea skirmishes and lists of wanted trolls to be executed in the name of the Empress. One of course was Marquise Spinneret. The others she had not heard of.

Further into the diary, it went into his brush-ups and battles with Mindfang, and how he had developed his kismesis feelings for her. It was so hate-filled and full of blackrom it made even Porrim want to hurl.

Each entry seemed to be a novel in itself. The shortest one had been a generous three pages, but the rest spanned anywhere from five to fifteen. The man liked to write, and he used very articulate language, something she hadn't really expected of him. It was droning, but fluid nonetheless.

It was towards the end of the journal that her attention was truly grabbed. The last entry began to mention how he had bought a new rung of slaves, and one was a prize: a jade-blood. Her blood ran cold, and she flipped to the end of the entry only to find that the novel had ended upon the last page. He had filled it front to cover, meaning that he either had another journal in here somewhere, or that he had stopped writing after this point.

Porrim sighed. By the time she had closed the journal, she had made herself comfortable on the little violet sofa. The ornate blanket that had been neatly folded atop it she had draped around her as she lounged, head slumped against the arm rest which curled in a peculiar way. From this part of the ship she didn't feel the swaying of the ocean so much. Her fatigue from the course of her mishap journey was settling in, and seeing that Perune had said he'd fetch her before Dualscar returned, she found it safe to make herself more comfortable and drift into a pleasant nap.

She was awoken by the sound of a turning knob. Her face turned into the couch cushions, hoping Perune wouldn't see her right away and think her to have left so she could sleep just a tad longer. The boots fell upon the wood heavily, and she was quick to deduce that the footsteps did not belong to the first-mate. Her heart sunk into the pit of her stomach and she tensed, feeling the binding of the old leather journal dig into her gut. She kept her eyes closed, and attempted to keep her breathing steady to feign slumber.

Her vision wasn't needed to know that he was standing right over her. Dualscar's shadow fell upon her face, and Porrim had to bite the inside of her cheek so she would not shudder. Her act wasn't good enough.

His voice was sharp like a sword's point, and jabbed at her when he snapped angrily, "Get up, ya sea wwitch. No need to be fakin' it." When she was too petrified to move, the pirate grabbed her from under her arm and pulled her up, making the journal drop onto the floor, some of the old pages falling out of line.

Porrim watched with sheepish posture as the Orphaner turn his head down to the clatter. She paid close attention to how the dead eyes went wide with shock, and his mouth part to show the points of his sharp teeth as he took in an exclaimed breath. The fire returned to his face when he looked back at her, back bristled with humiliation and rage for his privacy being invaded. His grip on her upper arm went taut and the rainbow drinker began to squirm and cry out in pain. He bent over and picked up the book, presenting it in front of her.

"I can't believwe this. First my owwn first-mate lets a captive into my quarters, and then she goes and starts snooping through my stuff! Deplorable. After howw nice I have been, howw merciful, this is howw you showw your gratitude!?" He shook her roughly, gnashing his fangs. "Wwhat do you evwen havwe to say for yourself, huh?! I should flog you at the mast for this sort of insolence!"

Porrim took his remarks like each was a painful sting. Her arm was killing her and his voice was so intimidating. She could feel her body begin to quiver under his grip. But her fear did not define her. A sudden rage came over the jade-blood and she found the nerve to pull away from him, stumbling out of his iron hold successfully. "What do I have to say?" she said in a soft mutter. "_What do I have to say?!_" her voice intensified to a yell. "You are a _murderer!_ An evil man, that is what you are. You kill for pleasure, in the name of a tyrannical bitch, and you killed a part of me so great that I can picture the pain of my ancestor as she was gunned down by your hands! You have blood on you, so much innocent blood, and for you to keep me here, caged like a bird when I used to be free, that is just a taste of the misery the Dolorosa faced! How can you live with yourself? All you high-bloods, all you can think about is yourself!"

Throughout her tirade, the pirate had been approaching her. Her feet were firmly planted, and she dared to go nose-to-nose with the Orphaner. His stare was fierce, searing with offense of the highest degree. He was inhaling deeply, and his fists were curled at his sides, shaking. Porrim held her ground, keeping her eyes locked on his. She was able to define the fine details of his long, thin scars, one going through his right eye, tinted purple with his blood. Suddenly his hand rose, gold and violet rings glistening in the twilight streaming through the window. Her courage faltered and the panic flew up into her face again as he brought down his palm, intending to slap her. Her body flinched, and she brought up her arms in reaction, bracing herself. She knew his strength. He was large, formidable, strong. A single blow could break her in two.

There was contact. But not the contact she had expected. At the last second, the air of his assault hesitated. His hand meshed against her cheek, cupping it alongside of a fistful of hair. His calloused fingertips were rough against her jaw as he rubbed over it gently. She held her breath, confused and bewildered.

"You... havwe no idea the pain I wwent through." His tone had dampened. He was filled with sorrow, and his body said it all. The Orphaner Dualscar was weary and grieved. "I cared a lot about the Dolorosa. More than you can fathom. My biggest regret wwas not being able to savwe her."

Porrim felt her brows draw together, unable to believe what was happening. "You killed her." she said with a matter of fact tone.

His lids drooped closed. "Aye, I did."

"Then why would you talk about saving her when she was your victim of murder?" she countered snippily.

His fingers dug into the side of her neck. "Wwatch wwhat you say around me, lass. There wwas a lot more to it than just that. I won't stand here and be interrogated by you about it though. I owwe you no explanation about my actions." His grip relaxed and he threaded his hand through her hair gingerly. The motion would have been relaxing had it not been Dualscar doing it. He examined a curl critically, toying with how it frayed. "You're both so very similar..."

Dualscar caught himself, suddenly becoming aware of what he was doing. He withdrew his hand hastily, firmly tucking it back at his side. His voice returned to sour, as if the action had never occurred. "Get out of my cabin, then. Off wwith ye."

She blinked. He made a motion towards the door, and she hesitantly retreated backwards until reaching it. No punishment? That was it? Just some confusing words and a gruff, pirate caress? Porrim wasn't about to remind him, so she quickly ran back down to her own room and bolted the door shut. She had a lot of new information to remediate on, and her heart would take a while to stop leaping up her throat.


	4. Chapter 3

Just as she had predicted, they landed upon the islands in three night's time. She had stayed in her cabin for the most part, without chores to meet. Perune had not come to fetch her, or anyone else for that matter, making her wonder if Dualscar had actually decided to kill his first-mate for letting her in his cabin. However, as soon as she heard someone from above yelling to lower the anchor, she couldn't help but venture out, anxious to see green, or any color so long as it wasn't solid blue.

As she came out to the deck, the crew was scrambling around to lower the sails, and cover the cannons with tarps. She walked over to the rail and stuck her head over, taking in with relief the sight of a dock below and to the distance, a town in the midst of a jungle-like habitat. The terrain spiraled up like a mountain, with other scattered establishments farther up. Above, the night sky was clear, and she could spy a small flock of glistening, white sky whale lusii.

Dualscar's voice rang above the cluster of chattering, making Porrim turn her head towards the wheel where he stood grasping it, his elegant cape billowing in the winds. "All right you sea dogs, evweryone off the ship. We're headed fer the tavwern and ladies-" his smirk gleamed, as wide as a shark's smile as he addressed his fleet, "-mind your manners."

The crew laughed at his sarcasm, lowering the gangplank to descend upon the dock. To her relief, she saw Perune leaning against the mast, a sour look on his face. She went over to him, and he noticed her approach in an instant. He had been toying with one of his knives, weaving it between his long, slender and scarred fingers. "Ah, sorry for gettin' ya caught, lassie. He retired earlier than usual."

She waved on his comment dismissively. "I didn't get in trouble, so it all is okay. I was sure he was going to skin you, though."

Perune snorted. "Nah, not me. I didn't go unscathed, he has me scrubbin' barnacles off his wriggler while we're anchored. No town fun for the first mate, unfortunately. Tis only fair, I suppose."

Porrim made a face of sympathy. She wanted to stay with him, but she just had to explore this place a bit. She needed to be on land again. "I'll try and get you a souvenir, how about that?"

He laughed. "Haha, I don't want anything. It's just nice to see new people is all."

She could understand that. Sighing at his expense, she gave him a meaningful look. Just as she was about to say something to part ways, the Orphaner's voice interrupted.

"Lass!"

He was leaning over the rail outside his cabin, face stern and solid. "You stay here."

Porrim's face fell with disbelief. "What!?" Just those words made her stomach churn with the idea of having to stay on the boat without any connection to land.

Dualscar descended down the stairs, boots making the boards creak under his step. "You stay on the ship," he repeated coolly. "Keep your buddy 'ere company."

Perune came to her defense. "Aw, c'mon, Cap' don't punish her for something I did. It were my idea in the first place, she didn't mean no harm."

The Orphaner gave his first-mate a sultry look of contempt, obviously still sore about the event from a few days ago. His lips raised in a slight snarl. "That isn't the reason I wwant her to stay on board." Perune rolled his eyes from under his bandanna in response, to which Dualscar replied swiftly, "Havwe you forgotten her blood? If anyone wwere to find out that there wwas a jade-blood among us, nevwertheless a rainboww drinker, there'd be people after her in an instant."

With a stubborn sigh, the slender troll swayed his arm in indication of the female in question while scratching at his cone-like horns with the other hand. "And what 'ere would give away her blood, Cap'n? She's all decked out in greys and blacks, it ain't like she's flaunting her blood for everyone to see."

"She could be attacked, or something."

Porrim watched them exchange their debate with a pursed lip, trying not to look annoyed by their discussion of where she could and could not go and Dualscar was making little sense on his end. Why would anyone want to attack her, and how would they even get to her if she was going to be amidst the crew the whole time? Sure they weren't all fond of her, but they knew well enough that Dualscar had plans for her and thus they needed to keep her in prime condition or it'd be the plank for them. And nobody wanted to face the wrath of the mighty and powerful Orphaner.

Perune gave his captain a look of disbelief, as if thinking the same thing she was. "Are you serious? With all due respect, I think our men and yourself can look after her just fine. Let the poor lassie get off this ship for a while, if even just for a day. Won't hurt no one."

The high blood's head turned to stare at Porrim who gave him an eager look, hanging for an answer, and hopefully the one she wanted. The pirate king drew in a soft breath, blinking in contemplation. After a few suspenseful moments, the violet-blood gave an aggravated sigh, massaging his head with his jeweled fingers. "Augh, fine. But you stay in my sight at all times, is that clear, lass?"

Porrim couldn't help but grin in triumph. She gave Perune a grateful look before nodding. "Aye-aye, captain," she said smugly with a small, half-hearted salute.

"Wwatch yer tongue, or I'll have it chopped off," he threatened lightly in a way she knew he didn't mean. He waved his hand in indication to follow him. Before she did that, she gave Perune a quick kiss on the cheek. He looked a little stunned, but recovered fast enough to bat her away and take off his bandanna bashfully, smudging his face with the back of his hand.

"Go on, get, or I'll never get any work done 'round 'ere," he said, shoving her along. Porrim laughed and pushed him back playfully before trailing after Dualscar, who had already began to walk down to the dock.

It took most of her will power not to sprint down the gangplank and off the dock to the town. She kept right next to the Orphaner, padding at his side loyally, though she couldn't help to think back to the happenings in his cabin a few days prior, and she felt the ghost of his fingers on her face and neck and recalled how different his tone had been when he spoke to her: gentle, soft. It made her shudder uncomfortably. Looking at him now, she could hardly believe she was looking at the same troll. She decided to keep her stare away from him and forget about it.

As soon as her feet touched off the dock and landed on what she knew for certain was land, a wash of relief fell over her. The swaying of her body that she so hated while being on the ship vanished, and her center became balanced and firm. Her head stopped throbbing within minutes of being off the vessel, and she found herself able to absorb more things around her.

The hives of the port town were staggered in height and somewhat connected like a communal city. The tarps covering entrances and windows to blot sunlight were all different colors, starting with the low bloods and the further in they all went, the more the blood colors heightened to more upperclass status. The highest blood she had seen so far was cerulean, but the most common was olive green. The trolls here weren't pirates, but they might as well be with how they dressed. It seemed like a bit of a roughneck place with the dirty stares going around, however the looks given to Dualscar ranged from awe to fear. He seemed to bask in this sort of attention, feeling empowered by their weakness.

The set up of the town was in terraces according to the gradually steepening terrain against the mountain side. Therefore, there was a plethora of stairs. It was a bit of a work out getting her sore legs to move as swiftly and timely as Dualscar's, who didn't seem keen on slowing his pace for her. If he was trying to make her regret coming with him, he was sorely out of luck. She had been trapped on his vessel far too long to care about a mass of staircases.

Despite the fact he was speeding along, she noticed he made frequent glances her way to be sure she wasn't straying too far. She kept to the fringes of his cape, so that when it swished, the hem of it would brush the ink on her arm. It tickled every time, and the contact made her flinch away from it occasionally.

"Where are we even going?" she asked him deftly after passing several taverns, looking at each one hopefully, waiting for him to enter.

"I havwe some business to do. Pirate stuff," he threw over his shoulder.

"And where is this business taking place?" Porrim delved deeper, giving him a strained expression, though he could not see it. Her brows drew together so much she could feel the pinch of her eyebrow piercings against her skin.

He pointed up. Her vision followed, shoulders sagging when seeing the large manor towards the top levels of the terraces. "Is there no better way to get up there?"

The male troll laughed incredulously. "If you just intend to wwhine the wwhole wway, you can turn around and get your tail back to Perune. The only wway is up these stairs. Unless you wwant me to carry you, of course."

He said it so evenly, the rainbow drinker was unsure whether or not to take it as an insult or a request. Regardless, she would have declined no matter what. She had too much pride to let him carry her. To let anyone carry her, really. "I'll pass." She heard him chuckle, but that was the end of the discussion.

The manor they were going to was decorated in violet. She wondered for a minute if this residence was actually Dualscar's, but as he walked up to the entrance, his expression grew firm and taut, and the purple gills on his neck twitched in a manner she had never seen. She affirmed that whoever was in here was not fondly looked upon by the Orphaner. At the door, there were two sentries, wielding harpoon-like pikes, seashell like attachments upon the crests of their spears. In fact, the plates they wore were also shaped in that of shells, making them appear like a form of off-royal guard. Their faces, and thus blood type were covered by ivory helms.

They kept their weapons crossed even as they approached. One began in a deep, unsettling voice, "Look what the tide dragged in..."

"The mighty Orphaner Dualscar... What brings you here?" The other guard was evidently female.

"Nothing of your concern, that is certain," he rebutted coolly, though Porrim could hear the edge in his voice, and she was certain the guards could as well. "My matters rest wwith your master."

There was a snort from the both of them. The guard on the left , the male, nodded to Porrim. "And this nave? Who's she? She mustn't have too much business with our master, unless she is part of a trade."

"She is my slave. She'll be here to help me carry a few items, isn't that right, Porrim?" he said with a shadow over his face as he turned to her. She nodded, though on the inside she was ready to slap him. He was trying to make her time on land miserable to show her up and prove a point. Not today, though, she wouldn't give in to his childish wriggler games.

The crossing pikes lifted away, and the duo strode past the shell-clad trolls without hinderance. The inside of the manor displayed two sets of stone stairs that extended on either side of the hive and met together on the second floor where the hall began and went further back into the complex. Below that there was another hall for the first hall, which Dualscar took. There were carvings and statues upon the walls, sculpted into the architecture with expert skill and precision. Upon the figures were draping strings of pearls, gold bands, and jewels. The windows held exotic tapestries in every shade of violet she could imagine, though the most prevalent was a soft shade of lavender.

At the end of the arched hall of the hive there was a wide room, the center of it, a large, elongated table made of dark wood. It was set and prepared, though there was only one occupant at the very head. Porrim couldn't make out the features of the figure, though, for there was a large floral vase at the very center whose leaves and petals were so overgrown and fanning that it obscured most of the troll's visage. The walls of this room were as ornate as the ones they saw previously, however the ceiling had in it bits and pieces of shells, making the room shimmer.

When the troll at the end of the table saw their visitor, they stood up, wiping their mouth with an ivory napkin, just having finished a meal.

"Ah, would ya look who it is? Forgivve me, you caught me unprepared for vvisitors." The glint of their fangs was visible, even in the dim lighting, and his accent was different than most Amporas. It was almost like a stutter. Porrim could see the sweep of his horns, which were wavy like Dualscar's and Cronus, but this male's horns went downwards at the point instead of up. He came around the table. He was dressed in a black wet-suit with a lavender Aquarius symbol on it. He had plates on his shoulders, and gold bands on his upper arms. His gills looked a bit marred and damaged. The frills were severely frayed, as well as the webbing on his ear fins. His hair was jet black, with stripes of grey in them from age. Under his dead eyes were bags and a few assorted wrinkles. at his waist he wore a studded belt with an old, jeweled pistol in a hoister on one hip, and a cutlass on the other. The handle of it was crafted marvelously, with twisting pieces of metal. Porrim had never seen such craftsmanship before.

"Wwalvis," Dualscar greeted, his eyes narrowed.

"Why such the grumpy face, lad?" the elder troll said with a grin. Up close, Porrim could see that he was missing teeth. "You make it seem like you aren't happy to see me."

"I do believwe you owwe me some things."

The male troll ignored him completely and bent over a bit to examine Porrim. His breath was terrible, and she did her best to not wrinkle her nose in disrespect. "What a lovvely creature you havve with you. Is she for sale? What class is she?"

Dualscar held out his arm and pushed her back away from Walvis. She took a sidestep behind him for good measure. "She is not up for bargaining. Stop avwoiding my reason for coming here. You promised me a shipment. I'vwe come to collect. I wwould say, it'd be best if you delivwered, unless you wwant me to lose my temper." Porrim watched as the Orphaner's back bristled. She didn't need to be looking to see his bared teeth.

Walvis rolled his eyes. "Oh please, lad, calm down. Your shipment will be delivvered, don't you fret. Howevver, you will need to be patient. It hasn't come yet, we're running a little behind due to attacks."

"Your crews should be trained wwell enough to fend off other pirates," Dualscar spat maliciously.

There was an incredulous noise from the other Ampora. "Ha! Not when the enemy is part of Mindfang's crew."

That made the Orphaner go limp. "Marquise?"

"Oh yeah, she's been attacking evvery shipment up north traveling south from the mainland. Must be anchored down somewhere around there." Walvis went over to one of his statues, one of a whale lusus. His dry, wrinkled hands rubbed over it affectionately. "Lost a ton of loot ovver the past few months 'cause of her."

The mention of the cruel and ruthless female sent chills down Porrim's spine. She had hoped that this dream bubble wouldn't include that horrendous woman, but she should have known better, especially after reading about her and Dualscar's blackrom relationship. She looked to see that the violet-blooded pirate king had clenched his hands tight, fueled with hate.

There was a laughter from Walvis. His voice was cheery and wise as he said, "Goodness is that rivvalry still going on between you two? Don't worry, lad, your shipment will arrivve in the next few days. I'vve gotten word of it yesterday."

Although this news was indeed good, it did not soothe the rage upon the Orphaner's face. Porrim was tempted to take up a pale quadrant to pacify the royal-blood, but he turned tail before she could make a move. His cape billowed in her face as he past. "I wwant it in three days, or I'm going after it myself!" he bellowed as he stormed out.

Walvis shook his head. Porrim glanced to him before deciding to play her part and bow respectfully to the older troll. He seemed humored by it. She paced quickly after Dualscar, catching up to him just as he exited the hive. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't exactly sure what. Nor did she really want to. Why should she? Mindfang ultimately led to his death, she should feel smug about the presence of the pirate queen. But she couldn't feel much for her, not with the knowledge she had possibly tortured her ancestor with mind games as her time as her slave.

So instead she remained quiet, keeping her distance from the seething fish-prince. They didn't have to climb down the stairs as far as they had up. Towards the third terrace down, he headed into the main street, ignoring a brawl that broke out practically right next to him. Porrim ducked under the wrestling trolls, realizing how less matured she was in comparison to most of them. Her sheer size showed how much younger she was than the rest of them.

The smell of strong ale fermented the air like a sweet perfume, and Dualscar seemed to follow it, heading right to the source. The tavern looked like any normal hive, however, there was a sign above the arch entrance in trollian runes. Inside, there was chaos. Porrim had never seen such a vulgar convergence of trolls in her entire life. Wenches dancing erotically on the tables, male and female alike, pirates everywhere, cursing, drinking, dancing, stumbling around with their ale about to slip from their fingers. Fighting on the floor. Fighting on the steps. Fighting on the counter. Shatteirng glasses was the music of the hour. She spied the two crew girls, Nennet and Felici, slouched against the counter with pints in their hands, laughing as they observed everything. Upon seeing their captain, they gave him a courtesy nod, the smiles briefly fading from their faces as they saw the raging aura he carried. The mirth became whispers to each other.

Dualscar moved towards the steps. Porrim began to follow, but hesitated, wondering if he even remembered that she was supposed to be glued to his side. At this point she was fairly convinced he did not want her around. She waited till the tail of his cape had disappeared to make a decision. She'd rather face him and his anger than this mob.

She made it up the stairs in time to see and hear the door of a room slam shut. Porrim went over to it, realizing how cramped her legs were from moving so much that day. Usually when she was on the ship she was moving from sitting space to sitting space, where she would remain stationary for hours on end.

Her feet grudgingly carried her to the door, and with little care for his foul mood, she knocked. Her fist hadn't even landed before the door swung open, Dualscar looked less intimidating and more tired than anything. "I wwas just about to go get you. Thought ye wwandered off," he grumbled, opening the door wide enough to let her enter. She went for the chair in the corner of the rickety looking room, sitting curtly with her legs crossed.

Porrim watched him make his way to the bed, unstrapping his armor roughly, letting it land on the floor with hard _thunks_. When all the armor was off, and his cape was left strewn on the side of the bed, he wore a wetsuit similar to Walvis. Sleeveless, and reaching down to his ankles. His symbol was also etched upon the chest. He sat on the edge of the bed, running his hands through his hair. The suit really defined just how muscular of a troll he was, showing off every last inch of power rippling on his body. He may not have been the broadest, but he was extremely lean.

Feeling her maternal instincts kicking in, the Virgo troll got up with a heavy sigh and began to pick up the pieces of his armor, starting with his arm guards and shoulder plates, tucking it neatly inside a nearby wardrobe trunk at the foot of his bed along with his massive chest piece. She took his cape and folded it neatly, laying it on top of the trunk. She noticed him watching her curiously with a tired, glazed look. "Yes?"

His only response was to laugh quietly to himself. "Nothin', lass. It's nothin'."

She gave him a quirked brow of disbelief but did not press for answers. Instead, she retired to her chair again, this time curling up her legs in a more relaxing position, hugging the pillow on it between her arms, head slouching into it. "Will you be staying in here long enough for me to sleep?"

The traces of his anger seemed to have evaporated into a mild simmer. She could tell he was still tense, but his face was relaxed. "Aye. Get some shut-eye, lass. I'll wwake you wwhen I need you."

He did not wake her. Instead, she woke up on her own, in the middle of the day. She guessed it to be around noon, with the sun straight up in the sky. The light was streaming through thin grey curtains, dulling it so it wasn't as intense. The room had tacky panelling, which she noticed now that she wasn't as tired nor distracted by Dualscar's mood. She also noticed that there was a blanket wrapped around her.

She looked to the sleeping troll, for which she could only see a dark mass half-way slung out of the sopor slime. She smiled to herself, stepping off her chair, taking the blanket with her. Porrim carefully ruffled it out, and flapped it onto his body. Then, quietly as she could, she left the room. Seeing that any normal troll would be burned and blinded by the sun, she determined that nobody would be out to spy her or grab her, hurt her, whatever possibility the Orphaner feared so much that she had to stay at his side.

Without the brawlers and crowds, she found the port-locked town very beautiful. The sun highlighted every ounce of color, and the rainbow drinker absorbed it with deep breaths. Over head, there were several flocks of flying whale lusii. Their bellows echoed throughout the sky. Her own lusus came to mind, a large insect, a virgin mother grub. She had not had a good relationship with it. She had been an adventurous wriggler, always seeking higher lands within the caverns. All she could remember was darkness, black. It had been dreadfully dull. Her lusus had prevented her from going too far up. But eventually she had escaped, one of the greatest moments of her life.

The trees were long, skinny, with fanning leaves that provided shade around the hives. They bore weird fruits, and she would have tried some if she could reach it. At ground level, there was just exotic flora, some partially alive and hissing with life.

For a while she explored, avoiding the ocean, and venturing deeper into the ctiy. She made a mental map to make sure she wouldn't get lost. There were abandoned vendor booths, and parts of the streets were decorated with shards of broken bottles and various trash. Despite this, the area still retained it's beauty.

She made a stop at a tall stone wall, one she climbed with ease. For a while she sat there, staring, happy to be alone, and not on a boat.

Unfortunately, her time came to leave, as the sun began to sink down and turn the sky over to evening. She made her way delicately back to the inn, swiftly moving back into Dualscar's room. He was right where she left him, laying on his stomach, the blanket still unmoved. She used the rest of her time to nap, and get more sleep in a comfortable environment while she had her chance.


End file.
